Situated in New Mexico’s Lincoln National Forest, the opening of the Smokey Bear-themed accommodation marks the one-year anniversary of Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge – an independently validated recognition programme that spotlights the booking platform’s most sustainable properties.
The lodging implements 30 of the sustainability measures that a property can incorporate to achieve a Travel Sustainable badge. These include using recycled, sustainable construction materials, powering the property with 100% renewable energy and having water- and electricity-saving appliances.
Before being donated to the Smokey Bear Ranger District as a place for park rangers and firefighters to relax, the property was available to book for an exclusive two-night stay, featuring a guided bike tour, a private cooking lesson with a local chef and a session with an artisan woodworker, among other complimentary perks.
Meanwhile, Booking.com’s collaboration with Chooose seeks to educate consumers on the carbon implications of their travels, exploring how to best display the carbon emissions associated with a trip on the booking platform. Starting with accommodation, the partnership will move onto addressing other travel services, including flights.
Going forward, Booking.com plans to offer carbon-offsetting options so that customers can easily address the carbon emissions associated with their trips directly on the website. This is a savvy move, as more than a fifth (21%) of European travellers think sustainable travel is “trendy” (Trip.com, 2022).
